A floating nightmare
by Mine de Crayon
Summary: Kate, Rick, Javier, Lanie, Ryan and Jenny decide to go on a cruise but what they don't know is that it won't be the idyllic trip they were hoping for.
1. Chapter 1

**Good morning, everyone,**

**Today, I am posting the first chapter of my new story. This story, without spoiler, recounts a maritime disaster involving our favourite characters. To write this story, I was very freely inspired by the Costa Concordia disaster. This fic takes place about nine years after the end of the series.**

**I hope you will like it and if so, feel free to post reviews.**

Chapter 1 : Prolog

The evening that changed everything, Rick had invited his friends from the police station at the Old Haunt. They were all sitting around a table and talking cheerfully when Rick said:

"Guys, I have some extremely good news for you."

"What is it?" Asked Jenny, Kevin's wife

"So, for our tenth anniversary, we decided to organize something special with our friends." Explained Kate. "It so happens that Rick was invited to do a special signing tour. He was invited to a promotional cruise in the Caribbean. We both decided to take advantage of it since it's near our wedding anniversary and we decided to invite you all."

"Thank you so much guys", said light-heartedly Lanie, "but I would feel bad if you paid us for our holidays and with Javier, with the mortgage loan, we don't have much money."

Javier and Lanie ended up getting married and later gave birth to a little boy named Pablo who was the same age as Johanna Beckett and a little girl, Nina, who was the same age as Rick and Kate's twins.

"I totally understand", Rick explained, "but in reality, they have offered us the largest part of the boat, which consists of three master bedrooms, a dormitory for the children, four bathrooms and a dining room where we will be served meals."

"It sounds like the greatest vacation ever". Said Jenny. "When are we leaving?"

"In two months" Answered Kate. "The advantage is that I know your captain quite well and I know that she will give you time off at that time."

The couples all looked into each other's eyes so that each one could give their approval to the other person.

"All right, it's accepted on our side," says smiling Javier, "but I suggest that each couple pay for their rounds."

"It promises to be the most memorable trip of our lives!" Said Lanie


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It had been two days now since the friends boarded the cruise ship " The Dolphin ", a magnificent boat which breathed luxury, charm and elegance. In this boat, there was everything needed to spend perfect vacations such as buddies for the children, spas or swimming pools to relax, casinos to spend money or nightclubs to celebrate.

In addition, they had been installed in a wonderful suite, the largest and most magnificent of the vessel. As you walked into the suite, you would arrive in a huge room overlooking the ocean with a large lounge area and a large marble table. It is on this table that they enjoyed the delicious dishes cooked for them by the boat's chefs.

On the evening of the second day on board, Richard and Javier were seated on the oceanfront terrace and enjoyed a beer after dinner. They were observing without speaking, the silent expanse that flowed under their feet.

"You know", Javier remarked, "I've always been afraid of the ocean and its infinity. When I was a kid, my mother and I used to go to California in the summer and every time I would stay on the beach for hours without daring to go to the water because I was afraid of being sucked by it."

"There's always a little scary in the ocean", Rick explained, "but you know, I think there's no safer place than this one right now."

"I agree."

"In an objective way, even with a war, this holiday will remain perfect. Afterwards, we are currently facing a risk since tomorrow is Friday the 13th. By the way, have I ever told you why Friday the 13th is a day that we say cursed?"

"No, but I want to know !"

"A long time ago, there existed the Order of the Temple. It was a religious and military order that originated in the Christian chivalry of the Middle Ages, whose members were called the Knights Templar. The idea of destroying the order of the Temple was already present in the mind of King Philip IV the Fair in order to destabilize the Pope, but the King lacked evidence and confessions in order to initiate a procedure. One day, however, the high-ranking policeman of the Kingdom of France received the confession of a Templar sentenced to death who confessed to him the denial of Christ, the obscene practices of the rites of entry into order and sodomy. As a result, on the morning of Friday, October 13, 1307, all the Templars of the kingdom were arrested."

When Kate heard this, she took her head out of the window and called out to her companion. "Rick, could you please stop saying stupid things and could you come meet your wife in bed? Javier, I think Lanie's waiting for you too.

The next morning, as they woke up, Javier and Kate decided to go jogging on the platform of the ship. They did four laps of the boat before going to the gym to do some sports. After doing their morning sports, the two policemen made their way back to their suite. There they gathered their friends, sitting at tables for breakfast and coffee.

"How did your jog go?" Alexis asked

"Pretty good", answered Javier.

"So", Alexis inquired, "do you have any idea of what's planned today on the boat?"

"According to the schedule", read Jenny as she took the schedule out and read it, "there's a magical performance tonight at the theatre but in the daytime, I don't see anything planned. So, I propose a little day to dawdle by the pool."

"I totally agree with this idea" Said joyfully Lanie

Delighted with this upcoming day, the friends went to the pool to benefit from the Caribbean sun and to enjoy the dolce vita that this magnificent boat brought them.

At the end of the day, Rick and Kate decided to invite their children to dinner in the gastronomic restaurant so that they could get together as a family.

It was these moments that always made Kate infinitely happy. She saw her sons, her daughter Johanna, her stepdaughter Alexis who had become over time like her daughter, her husband, their smiles, in short, their happiness.

As they were eating, they saw the captain of the boat approaching their table. The man was walking around the tables of the restaurant. He greeted them:

"Hello, mister Castle. We are very honored to have you with us on this boat. I hope you are satisfied with your suite!"

"Thanks sir", said Castle, "our suite is a wonderful piece of work. It's the most beautiful place I've slept in my whole life."

"I'm glad to hear you're satisfied with this room!" Says the captain looking at his watch. "I'm sorry, I can't stay with you for long. I must go to the command post. We're nearly in Puerto Rico and according to tradition, we're going to do a rather complex maneuver called curtsey." "What does this maneuver consist of?" Asked Alexis

"It is pretty simple", answered the captain, "normally when you arrive in proximity to an island you are supposed to approach the coast to make a curtsy, which is to greet the island's inhabitants."

After dinner, they rejoined with the rest of their friends and all together they headed to the theatre to see the magic show. The show began. The children were all amazed by what was happening in front of them when suddenly one of the curtains of the theatre's red curtain suddenly began to tip in a strange way.

"Is the fact that the curtain is like this part of the show?" Asked Pablo, Javier and Lanie's son.

"I don't think so!" Answered his dad


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A few minutes before the impact

At the command post, Captain Louis Mathieu was thoughtful. He was concentrated and focused on the maneuver he was carrying out.

Despite his young age, the captain was already an experienced seaman. He was born in France and had studied at the country's most prestigious maritime school. Shortly after, he was hired by the shipping company that owned the cruise ship. He had climbed in the company's hierarchy until he had the responsibility of the company's flagship three years before.

Nevertheless, despite his extensive expensive, he made a mistake. As a matter of fact, in an attempt to make a curtsy as close as possible to the coast, he did not notice that he had hit a rock that had punctured the hull for nearly seven meters.

They all experienced a strong impact and then noticed the boat had started to bend over to the side where the impact occurred. The captain was in no time joined by his adjunct, one of his compatriots named Olivier Maréchal.

"Captain", said the adjunct with a panicked voice because of what was happening, "how are we supposed to handle situations like this?"

"Olivier, can you check how severe are the damages of the impact?"

The young sailor called the guy responsible for the maintenance of the boat, then exchanged a few words with him et finally came back to his captain.

"Apparently, there are only two holds in which there is water. Normally, with two holds, we should be able to keep navigating without much trouble. However, the chief of maintenance told me we should call the coast guard to warm them about the situation. They also told me because of the accident, there's no electricity in the boat."

"Don't do it, Olivier! Don't do it!"

"Captain, it is our duty to ensure the safety of the passengers on the boat." said the young assistant by dialing the coast guard number. "Anyway, the chief of maintenance had told them there had been an accident in the boat and I'm going to give a message to the passengers."

"Olivier, I'm your boss and I remind you that this boat is mine. From now on, we have to handle the crisis, nonetheless. First, I want you to share a message to the passenger. Tell them we have an electricity problem on which our maintenance team is currently working. Second, I want you to tell the passengers to go back to their room until we solve this problem.

"Sir, I can't tell them this message. That's a goddamn lie, sir!"

"Olivier, you will have the possibility to give your opinion on the decision I make when you will have my experience and my position. Before you have it, there is just one thing you can do right now: shut the fuck up and do what I'm ordering you to do."

-All right, captain!

On the other side of the boat, as soon as the power had been cut off, all the spectators had left the theatre. It had been a bustle to get out so, the adults had each grabbed one of the children so that they would not be swallowed by the human wave.

When they were all out of the room, Javier who remained quiet about what was happening went back with Ryan to the suite to get life jackets. Meanwhile, the other adults decided to stay with the kids so as not to panic them. When the two policemen returned to their friends, they put the vests on their children and immediately afterwards, Kate decided to isolate herself with Javier to see if he had any additional information:

"We got messages saying it was a simple electrical problem, but it seems a little strange to me. Did you manage to get any more information?"

"You know, when I was a member of the Special Forces, we had intensive trainings dedicated to maritime interventions. Therefore, I know it's bigger than just an electrical issue. We were probably hit by an object on the side of the hull."

"What are we going to have to do?"

"It's simple. First, we must remain very calm. Second, we must reassure as much as possible the kids. Normally, if ship abandonment has not already been ordered, it means that you can continue to navigate. We shouldn't worry about this whole thing. This boat is not the Titanic! Normally, there is everything you need in terms of lifeboats and in the worst scenario, we are not far from the coast so we can always jump into the water."

The captain was thinking about the situation while contemplating the horizon when his assistant ran towards him:

"Captain, we have a huge problem. I have just received a phonecall from the chief of maintenance. Apparently, he was wrong. There's water in three holds. What do you want us to do?"

The captain remained silent.

"Captain, we need you to make a decision!"

"Ok", the captain declared, closing his eyes as if to avoid facing reality, "I order the abandonment of the ship. Get the lifeboats ready!"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Upon hearing the words "Ship abandonment", all the passengers turned white. The vessel's employee endeavored to appease the passengers so that they all respect the rules that women and child should go first on the lifeboats.

The children of the group of friends were no exception to the rule. Indeed, the kids began to freak. Javier gathered them around him before explaining to them what he had said to Kate before. Shortly after, he decided to take them by the hand to install them in the lifeboat which was right behind them.

The children all got into the lifeboat, but they all realized at that moment that there would be no room for everyone. Indeed, there was no place for Javier and Castle who were the last to enter the lifeboat.

"You know", Javier said, "you should on that boat. Don't worry, we'll take the next lifeboat and meet you on the beach."

"I'm not sure it is really a good idea." Answered Kate. "Indeed, we should always stay together. It's safer this way!"

"Don't you worry sweetheart", Rick said to try to comfort his wife, "we'll get whichever boat comes next. You go with the kids and I'll go with Javier. Stay with the children and take care of them. We'll be together before you even wonder where I am, and we'll be able to resume our vacation."

"Kate", continued Javier, "you are my little sister and one of my best friends. I promise you everything will be fine for both of us and even if there was any risk for me or your husband, I remind you that I was in the Special Forces so everything will be fine."

"Ok !" Concluded Kate. "I'll see you on the beach and I want you both to be careful. Rick, I love you and our kids love you too!"

The novelist hugged his wife and kids and then, Javier and Rick watched the other members in their lifeboat as they went down the side of the boat and wandered out into the darkness.

Directly, the two men decided to start looking for a canoe in which they could board into. Already, the deck was almost unloaded, having been hollowed out by all the boats on their way to the shore. It was at this moment one of the cruise ship employees approached them and started talking to them.

"Quite an evening! I'm not supposed to tell you this, but you know, it turns out that in the end, this boat is a floating nightmare. The captain left as soon as he declared the ship abandoned and we're all on our own tonight. In addition, we just found out that the captain thought it was smart to consider simple plastic floaties as real solid lifeboats."

"What does that mean?" Javier asked

"It's easy", the sailor explained, "it simply means that there will be no lifeboats for everyone. As a consequence, because you are both healthy and fit men, I must inform you that you probably can't get off the boat in a boat."

The two men directly realized the only solution they would have to leave the ship would be to jump and then swim.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

After a few minutes boating in the dark night, the passengers of the lifeboat disembarked on the beach. They were promptly welcome ashore by two cruise ship employees and then guided to a small restaurant on the waterfront that gave coffee to the adults and hot chocolate to the children. Most of the passengers on the ship were already gathered near the restaurant.

Alexis went to a boat employee to ask him if he knew when the rest of the passengers would arrive. He straightaway replied her that he didn't have many information about it. He also told her that if they wished to rest instead of waiting on the seafront for their loved ones to arrive, the company which owned the boat had rented a whole hotel for their customers.

Alexis walked back towards the rest of the group so that they could decide what they wanted to do.

"Jenny and Ryan", Lanie asked her friend, "do you mind if you go to the hotel with the kids? Kate and Alexis and I will probably wait here! It would be better for the kids to go to sleep! It's been a long and though day!"

"No, it's normal." Accepted Kevin

"I want to stay with you", Johanna protested, "I'm grown up now and I'm not tired. I want to wait for Dad and Uncle Javier with you. I want to be there with you when they arrive otherwise, I won't be able to sleep."

"Alright sweetheart", consented Lanie after exchanging a look with her best friend, "you can stay with us. However, boys, you go with Uncle Kevin. We'll meet you at the hotel as soon as we pick up Javier and Rick."

On board the boat, Javier and Rick had quickly made the decision to traverse the boat to jump from the side that leaned closest to the sea. Nevertheless, the crossing was more complicated than expected. This was due to the fact that the boat was now tilting significantly. In addition, since the boat was tilting, many objects had fallen to the ground.

When they were walking through the dining room, Rick fell over an oil puddle on the floor. When he got up, he realized that he had cut his leg severely. Indeed, he had come across a sharp service knife.

"Javier, I need your help. I fell and cut my leg."

"Hold on, I'm coming to you!" Javier ran to his friend and looked at his friend's wound "Well, the situation was not perfect already, but now it's becoming a real challenge! Nevertheless, we will have to go quickly to the terrace. We need to get you treated as soon as possible!"

Javier took his friend under his arm and the two men quickly reached the edge of the boat but before they jumped, Javier decided to brief his friend.

"We're not going to be able to talk much when we get in the water. So, I want you to do exactly what I say: you jump first and as soon as you're in the water, you don't ask yourself any questions and you swim! Don't worry, even if you're hurt, I'll always be behind you and if you have trouble, I'll take you on my back."

The writer nodded his friend's instructions, climbed the fence and then jumped into the water. He had jumped from one of the lower decks of the boat, so the fall was not long. When he landed in the water, he looked back and saw directly that the boat's chimney was about to come off and fall. He then shouted to Javier to quickly jump what the policeman did, and the two men swam quickly to try to get to safety.

Kate and Alexis were inquiring about the boats that were arriving when Lanie rushed towards them and told them: "Girls, look: the chimney is going down."

"Oh fuck, said Kate, and we have some bad news for you: we talked to one of the ship's employees and in the end, there wasn't enough boat, so they probably jumped in the water and swam back to the island."

"Kate, Lanie said to reassure her best friend and the young redhead, don't worry because everything is going to be perfect. I remind you that Javier was trained in much worse situations in the Special Forces, so for him, swimming back from a cruise ship is like having breakfast. Everything will be fine and you'll be reunited with Rick, don't worry!"

The three young women settled on the beach and although they were smiling, the fear was beginning to rise inside them. They waited for long moments until, in the darkness, they saw Javier holding Rick under his arm.

When they saw them, they took a second to realize and then rushed to their men. They returned to the hotel to join the rest of the group and all promised that the next time he went on vacation, they would stay on dry land.


End file.
